Separator employed for the separation of liquids of different density



W. H. BATEMAN. SEPARATOR EMPLOYED FOR TIIE SEPARATION DF LIQUIDS 0F DIFFERENT DENSITY.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 17.71922. L4g1,658 Patented July 4, 1922.

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Atiorney.

w. H. BATEMAN. SEPARATOR EMPLOYED FOR THE SEPARATION 0F LIOUIDS 0F DIFFERENT DENSITY.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I7, 1922.

Patented July 4, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Inventor v. by

a, i, MM?! fltomey.

h ms? Il@ STATES WILLIAI HENRY BATEMAN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

Specification of Letters'latent.

Patented July d, i922..

Application filed January 17, 1922. Serial No. 529,973.

To all wwmrz't may concer/n Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY BATEMAN, a :subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, residing at 23 Great lnchester Street, London, F. C., England, haveinvented certainnew and useful Improvements Relating to Separators Employed for the Separation of Liquids of Different Density, of which the -r"ollowing is a specication.

This invention yrelates to separators employed for the separation-of liquids oi' diferent density.

The -invention isespecially applicable to theseparation of water from the condensate produced in the distillation of crude oil where the distillation is effected, as is usual, in the presence of steam, and where thus a considerable quantity of water is recovered with the condensate and requires separation therefrom.

The'invention relates to an improved regulator for such separato-rs and the invention is applicableto any vessel in which the liquids Iare .admitted ffor settling at different levels according to their respective densities; and the regulator may be applied to this vessel as a separate apparatus disposed in proper relation thereto, in order that, irrespective of the relative rates at which the liquids enter the settling chamber, the predetermined combined volume of the two liquids retained in the settling chamber may Vbe constantly maintained, and the relative quantities of each be variable by the means hereafter described in detail. Means are also vprovided whereby the conditions of levelsboth relative and actual existing withinthe separator, are visibly reproduced in the regulator.

The connection betweenthe regulator and the separator in respect to the less dense liquid Yis such that a liquid seal is provided preventing the escape of vapour or gas from the separator.

According to the invention the regulator comprises a casing divided into a number of Acompartments'one of which is connected for the admission therein of the denser liquid and another for the admission of the less dense liquid, and each of these compartments communicates with a third so that the conditions as to level ofthe liquid in the main vessel or separator are thus reproduced therein, and this third compartment is provided with a sight glass or transparent cover plate so that the respective levels are visible. rIhe less dense liquid flows from its compartment over a weir to enter an adjacent compartment to which the outlet pipe is connected. The weir thus provides the path for discharge of the less dense liquid, and the maximum height of the combined column maintained within the separator is determined by the weir, while the/denser liquid may overflow through a vertically disposed overflow outlet pipe mounted within the iirst compartment referred to, and the height of the column of the denser liquid within this compartment may be variedby suitable means, such as by providing the upper part of the outlet overflow lpipe movable with reference tothe mam part, which latter may be integrally provided with the casing and may have a downwardly protruding part to which the outletpipefor the dense liquid is connected. The weir is advantageously of a height to ensure that the inlet vfor the less dense liquid :to .the corresponding compartment of the regulator is always submerged and thus sealed against .thepassage ot vapour or gas.

The invention comprises the construction hereinafter described.

The-invention is illustrated by way of eX- ample vin :the accompanying` drawings in which- Figure l is aside elevation of a regulator constructed'according'to the invention and applied to a separator.

Figure f2 is a ifront ing to Figure .1.

Figure 3 isa sectional elevation on the line e- Figure 2,and

.Figure el is a sectionalelevation on the line /-g/Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan corresponding-to Figures l and 2,while Figure Sis a detail section,

In carrying the invention into effect according to-.oneconstruction of regulator for the purpose of separating water from oil as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the regulatoris provided as al casing a which conveniently may taire an oblong rectangular form, and'is secured to the main vessel or separator The oil level in separator ZJ is indicated at a, and the water level el. The casing a of the regulator is divided into anumber of compartments as hereinbeforedescribed by means of integral partitions. At one end a compartment l is elevation correspondposed in position adjacent the water inlet c1; and the outlet pipe ci is provided with its upper part d1 adjustable for the variation of the height of the column ofwater to maintain equilibrium.` For this purpose the upper part d1 of the outlet pipe is provide-d as a cylindrical sleeve having a screvvv threaded bore, and the upper end o the main part of the outlet pipe Z may be screw threaded on its exterior. At the upper end the movable part d1 of the outlet pipe d is conveniently provided with a cross bar e by means of which it may be rotated for the purpose of adjusting the level of its upper edge, and thus of adjusting the level Y at Vwhich the water overflows, and is discharged :trom` the compartment l. This compartment 1 of the regulator may con-V veniently be left uncovered so that thus the outlet overflow pipe d 031 may at any time be conveniently adjusted. j

The casing a of the regulator on one side is provided with a tubular connection which opens into a centrall compartment 2 for the less dense liquid or oil, and this compartment is completely separated Jfrom the water compartment l by a transverse partition g, andthis connection f is secured in proper position on the side of the main vessel or separator Z), so that the outlet lies entirely submerged and serves for the admission o oil into the oil compartment 2, and provides a seal preventing the esca e of vapour or gas from the separator. n the side opposite to that of the partition g dividing the water compartment 1 from thc oil compartment 2, another parallel partition h is provided as a Weir, which serves to determine the maximum height of the combined column of oil and Water, and thus extends short of the extreme height of the casing as illustrated in Figure 3; while on the other side of the weir It, an outlet compartment 4 for the oil is provided, and a tubular outlet iitting v2 is advantageously provided for this compartment, on the side opposite to that at vWhich the tubular inlet Vconnection y is. provided as hereinfore described, so that thus as the oil passes into thev compartment 2 and rises abovethe level oi the weir z, it overflows to the outlet compartment 4 and thence passes out. l

In front of the oil compartment 2 and be- .a communicating hole 7c, at a level slightly beneath that of the edge of the Weir It, While in a partition g', which is an extension of the partition g, and which is between the com-V partment 3 and the watercompartment 1, a communicating `hole m is provided, near the bottom, sothat thus oil and water flow into this compartment from the respective water and oil compartments 1 and 2, being subject to the same conditions of equilibrium as the liquids in the separator. Thus the respective levels of oil and water are indicated in the compartment 3, to correspond with those obtaining in the separator A b, the levels being visible through the glass cover plate j. The walls of the casing a adjacent the oil compartment 2, and the oil outlet compartment 4 are advantageously upwardly extended for the reception of a cover plate n, and the walls of the compartment 3 may also be extended to contact with the cover plate a.

The compartment 3 serving for the purpose of reproducing the levels of the respective liquids in the separator b may be disposed in any other convenient relation than specifically hereinbefore described.

l claim: v

1. An outiiow regulator for separators employed 'for the separation of liquids settlinfr at different levels according to their densities, comprising a casing formed into` two adjacent compartments, connections between the said respective compartments and the separator adapted for the admissionY into the respective compartmentseo'f theV denser and less dense liquids from Vthe separator, means comprising an outlet pipe in oneoi the said compartments, said outlet pipe be-V ing open at its upper end and adapted to serve as the downward path oi discharge of the denser liquid trom the said compartment, and a Weir in the second compartment for determining the vmaximum height of the combined column of liquids within the separator, said weir serving as the path of discharge of the less dense liquid from the separator, substantially as described.

2. An outflow regulator iorseparators employed for the separation of liquids settling at different levels according to their densities, comprising a casing having two compartments, means between the said casing and the separator adapted for the admission into the respective compartments of the denser and less dense liquids from the separator, means whereby the said respective liquids may overflow from the said respective compartments comprising an outlet pipe in one compartment for the denser liquid and a weir in the compartment for the less dense liquid, the said weir being so disposed as to maintain a liquid seal against the escape of vapour or gas from the separator, substantially as described.

3. An outflow regulator for separators employed for the separation of liquids settling at different levels according to their densities comprising a casing having two compartments, means between the said casing and the separator adapted for the admission into the said respective compartments of the denser and less dense liquids from the separator, means whereby the said respective liquids may overl-low from the said respective compartments, and a third compartment communicating respectively with the said two compartments by means adapted to reproduce in the said third compartment the levels of the respective liquids in the separator, substantially as described.

` 4. An outow regulator for separators employed for the separation of liquids settling at different levels according to their densities comprising a casing having two compartments, means between the said casing and the separator adapted for the admission into the said respective compartments of the denser and less dense liquids from the separator, means whereby the said respective liquids may overflow from the said respective compartments, and a third compartment communicating respectively with the said two compartments by means adapted to reproduce in the said third compartment the levels of the respective liquids in the separator, and an outlet compartment in the said casing into which the less dense liquid may flow from one of the said compartments into which the less dense liquid passes from the separator, substantially as described.

5. An outflow regulator for separators employed for the separation of liquids settling at different levels according to their densities, comprising a casing having two open compartments, means between the said casing and the separator adapted for the admission into the said respective compart ments of the denser and less dense liquids from the separator, means whereby the said respective liquids may overflow from the said respective compartments, a third open compartment communicating respectively with the said two compartments by means adapted to reproduce in said third compartment the levels of said respective liquids in the separator, and a cover plate for the said casing adapted to close the compartments in which the less dense liquid passes, substantially as described.

6. An outflow regulator for separators employed for the separation of liquids settling at different levels according to their densities, comprising a casing having two compartments, mea-ns between the said casing and the separator adapted for the admission into the said respective compartments of the denser and less dense liquids from the separator, the compartment for the denser liquid being open, means whereby the said respective liquids may overflow from the said respective compartments, said means comprising an outlet pipe in the compartment of the denser liquid by which the column of the denser liquid within the said compartment is adjustable in height, substantially as described.

WVILLIAM HENRY BATEMAN. 

